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Smart technology such as the Amazon Alexa and Philips Hue are fast becoming a staple part of many homes, providing a convenient and often novel way of doing day-to-day things that would otherwise be more complex.

Say you fancy turning the heating up just a little so it’s nice and cosy when you return home, the Nest Learning Thermostat will allow you to do that remotely via your mobile phone. Or, if you’re planning on having a relaxing night in, you feel like getting funky with some chilled out tunes and subtle mood lighting… then Google Home has you covered.

Now imagine you could take these incredible inventions one step further. What if they got smarter? Like, really smart… Not only could they make your day-to-day life that little bit easier, but what if they could sense when you needed them? What if they could go and fetch your slippers for you so you don’t have to rely on the dog?

So we got to thinking… Technologically speaking, who or what is the most reliable of all? Why, it’s the giant, sentient robots of Cybertron of course. The Transformers as they’re lovingly known are noble, compassionate and chivalrous – those Autobots certainly know how to look after us human folk (forgetting the Decepticons, obviously). Add to that their ability to shapeshift and we’ve got a force to be reckoned with.

We then got creative. We wanted to see what a smart technology/Transformers mash-up might look like and we’ve got to say… We’re quite impressed.

When Smart Home Technology Meets The Transformers

Below are our very own versions of the Transformers, all of which are based on smart tech that has become an integral part of our lives. What do you think? Would you fancy owning one of these rather cool little critters?

Alexatron

Smart, sassy and just generally a bit of a diva, Alexatron is a transformer who loves to help others. Whether you need a shopping list creating or you just don’t fancy cooking dinner tonight, she’ll always be there to lend a hand. Based on the Amazon Alexa, she’s sure to become a big part of the family in no time. She can be a bit chatty though.

Chronos

Sleek, sophisticated and a little bit on the pretentious side, some might say that Chronos is engineered to perfection. Based on the Apple Smart Watch, he’s known for being the smartest companion when it comes to keeping your life on track while on the go. A data whiz kid, not only can he help you maintain a busy schedule, but he can shout at you when you don’t get in your daily exercise requirements too. Who needs a personal trainer when you’ve got Chronos to keep you in check, right?

Lightwave

Possibly the sweetest of the smart bot bunch, Lightwave loves nothing more than to help you see clearly (literally and figuratively). Based on the Philips Hue, he knows exactly when it’s time to help you chill out with some delicious mood lighting… or if you’re feeling all of the disco vibes, he’s there for that too! Almost like an emotional support bot, if you will…

Switchblade

If you need to kickback and chill but you need a gaming companion too, then Switchblade is your guy. Based on the Nintendo Switch, he’s a bucket full of fun and one of the most easy going smart bots, he’s also more than happy to go wherever you go. He does have a tendency to be a little feisty though, especially if he’s losing a game…

Fitbot

Strong, fierce and not willing to let any challenge stand in her way, Fitbot is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to health and fitness. Inspired by the FitBit, she’s the perfect yoga partner, where she’ll be a constant source of motivation and ready to mop your brow when things get tough. She’ll also be there to smash that cheeky doughnut out of your hand when you start to let things slide. Be careful though, she can be a bit bossy if you don’t do as she says.

Questor

The brain box of the smart bots, what Questor doesn’t know isn’t worth knowing. You want to know why giraffes have long necks, or how toilet paper is made? Just ask Questor, he’s full of answers and he’s not too bad with directions either. Created with Google Home in mind, he’s sharp, quick-witted and just a great chap to have around the house. He’ll even help entertain the kids when they start to grate on your last nerve.

Thermo

Never before has comfort been so important to a smart bot. Thermo is obsessed with ensuring her humans are suitably warm (or cool if you’d prefer it that way, she aims to please). Based on the Nest Learning Thermostat, she makes every effort to know what it is you need, even before you do. So, if you fancy a nice hot bath after a long day at work, Thermo will have it ready and waiting for you… and maybe even a glass of wine or two if you’re lucky.

Following the news that food bank use in the UK has reached its highest rate since records began last month, we got to thinking about how food is changing in our society. The previous year has seen a 13% increase of emergency supplies being delivered since the previous year. We won’t get bogged down in the politics of it but increasing living costs due to inflation is certainly a large factor.

Since fast-food’s rise to ascension, people’s relationship to food is changing. The appeal of spending an hour or more prepping and cooking food has dwindled when you know you can get a meal in minutes down the road. We’re also often strapped for time. As a result, there’s been a surge in convenience foods: Microwave burgers, noodles, ready meals, these offer the convenience of fast-food at often even lower prices.

There’s one convenience food in particular that we want to talk about: tinned food. Tinned food is often always cheap and easy to use. We’ve already seen entire meals in tins before and you may have avoided these like the plague. But the reality is, there are lots of people that rely on them to get by.

The long-life and low prices of tinned food also mean they feature heavily in food banks. As the rate of food bank usage appears to be climbing, we thought about what tinned food could look like in the future. As people are being priced out of food, could this be where we are headed?

We took some different cuisines and imagined what they would look like if they were condensed down to fit in a tin. Would you eat any of these?

Your favourite movies reimagined as caravans or trailers, depending where you’re from… because, well, why not? Sure, some people reading this may think it’s an odd concept but bear with us, we do actually have a reason. You may have noticed there’s been an increase in trailer parks and mobile home living. This is due to a lack of affordable housing for many families. We wanted to raise awareness of the issue by portraying it in a new light. We commissioned a designer to have a little fun, and we designed your favourite TV and movie locations as trailers. The settings we chose, when introduced with the context of the show, could viably have been created as trailers. Take a look at our creations below.

Pokemon – Pallet Town

With Ash and his friends constantly on the move, looking for new Pokémon and seeking new battles, it is viable their Pallet Town home could have been a trailer. In fact, it would make a lot of sense. Here’s how it would look.

Embed How to build a den on Your Site: Copy and Paste the Code Below

A-Frame Tent Den

At the top of each of the four moldings, with your pencil, mark 6 inches down each one.

Drill a hole at each mark… make sure they’re all in the same place by placing two moldings on top of each other.

Push the dowel through the holes on the two moldings. Repeat this step for each side.

The frame is around the size of a double bed duvet cover, so if you have a flat one laying around you can save yourself time by throwing that over the frame. If you want to make a cover, it’s as quick and easy as making the frame and can be done with or without a sewing machine.

Materials you will need (Cover):

Fabric large enough to cover the frame. Approx 46” x 88.5”

Coordinating thread

Elastic strips

Scissors

How To

You can hem the fabric if you have a sewing machine, do this by using a straight stitch with a half inch hem.

Cut four 5” elastic strips.

Fold them over and sew to each corner of the tent cover

Cover the frame, and loop the elastic around the legs to secure the cover.

The tent should now be ready to use! You change the fabric to match your toddlers ever growing and changing tastes.

Cardboard Castle

Materials You Will Need:

Glue

Colored or patterned tape

Coloring pens, pencils and markers

Large cardboard boxes

Glitter, stickers, decorations

How To:

The scope to be creative with this is massive. You can add as many or as few boxes as you like, decorate them how ever you want, and tape them together in whatever order suits you best.

You could have a large box as the center, with a few smaller boxes tape to the side as ‘rooms’. Or two large boxes connected with a rectangular box as a tunnel… the only limit is your imagination!

Try gluing or stapling some fabric to the ‘windows’ for an extra special touch

You could have an arched door for the front of the box, cut at the top, and down the middle, leaving the ‘doors’ attached at the sides so they open and can be closed for play-time privacy.

With the flaps of the boxes that usually would form the base of the box, cut slats out to make them look like turrets.

Super Easy Dens

The Classic Pillow Fort

You Will Need:

Pillows

Cushions

Blankets

Poles

Pegs

Use a central pole (An old mop or broom pole works well), held in place with tins, bricks or heavy books. Place the sheets over the pole, pegging multiple sheets together if you want to make a bigger den. Use additional heavy items to hold down the sheet in the corners.

Using Chairs:

Try using the backs of chairs as walls and placing sheets or blankets over for the roof.

The sofa is one of the most valuable den building tools you can have at your disposal.

Use the cushions as walls. They’re great for walls because of their square, brick-ey shape and sturdiness!

Get the sofa itself in on the action by using the back of the sofa as a wall. Place a sheet over the side of the sofa and use poles to prop up the other side. Kinda like an awning on a caravan.

Den Tips

Make A Treasure Chest

Things to take into a den are just as important as the den itself. After all – it’s what on the inside that counts!

Take an empty shoe box and cover it with some ‘funky’ wrapping paper by gluing it on. Decorate the box with your little one. Get them to write ‘Treasure Chest’ on top or side as they wish and decorate it with glitter and stickers.

Fill the box with snacks, sweeties, games, glow sticks, music players and toys.

Make a Den Sign

Name the den – It could be a fort, a castle, a nest, a lair, a cave or a den! Maybe you could incorporate something that your child loves into the name such as “The Ice Cream Castle” or “The Glitter Palace”.

On a nice piece of card, write the name down and decorate with stickers. Try finding some stickers related to the name of the den or of something that your little one enjoys. You can pick some cheap but wonderful stickers online, from eBay and Amazon. Not only will having and building a den entertain your kiddies for hours, but making a sign is another great way to get creative.

Color Schemes & Themes

Princess Themed for Pretty Princesses:

Pale/Baby Pink + Silver/Gold + Hot Pink + Glitter

Try making glittery signs using glue, glitters and card.

You could make a cardboard door sign in the shape of a crown or make a pink, glittering flag to make it into a ‘real’ castle.

Add fluffy, soft cushions and cushions like velvet and silk for a Den fit for Royalty – and don’t forget to stock the Den up with Fairytale books.

Try decorating homemade door signs with animal prints like polka dots for a leopard, stripes for a tiger or snake print.

Add fluffy blankets like a lions mane, or even add some astro-turf to the floor of the Den to make it look like jungle grass. You can easily get brightly colored feathers from high street arts and crafts shops – you can easily string some up and pretend they are birds of paradise.

Take in lots of educational wildlife books and some animal crackers that you can pick up from any supermarket.

Space Theme for Aspiring Astronauts

Blue + Navy + Silver

There are all sorts of things you could do with tin foil – maybe try sticking some to the walls of you den to make them shiny and sci-fi!

Try making some cardboard or paper mache models of the planets, they can be hung up inside the den and little ones can learn about the solar system.

If you search far and wide on the internet, you can buy vacuum packed food as novelty gifts, it’s based on what astronauts would have eaten – try snacking on some space food in the den.